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Lions coach Matt Patricia interlocks arms with his players during the national anthem before the start of the 16-10 exhibition loss to the Raiders on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

Lions quarterback Matt Cassel looks to pass the ball against the Oakland Raiders during the first quarter of the 16-10 exhibition loss to the Raiders on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

Lions running back Kerryon Johnson carries the ball against the Raiders during the fourth quarter of the 16-10 exhibition loss to the Raiders on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sits on a Gatorade cooler during the third quarter of the Lions' 16-10 exhibition loss to the Raiders on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Kelley L Cox USA TODAY Sports

Lions quarterback Jake Rudock throws the ball against the Raiders during the third quarter of the 16-10 exhibition loss to the Raiders on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Sergio Estrada USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah reaches for the pylon but does not score during the first half against the Oakland Raiders in an NFL football preseason game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. John Hefti, AP

Oakland Raiders running back Jalen Richard (30) carries against Detroit Lions defensive back Rolan Milligan during the first half of an NFL preseason football game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. John Hefti, AP

Detroit Lions players stand during the playing of the national anthem during a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Aug. 10, 2018. Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. – Ameer Abdullah seemed like the odd man at the running back position after the Detroit Lions signed LeGarrette Blount as a free agent and drafted Kerryon Johnson this offseason, but that line of thinking might have been a little bit premature.

Abdullah ran for 16 yards on four carries, caught a 7-yard pass and scored the Lions’ only touchdown in the first half on a patient 1-yard run in their preseason opener against the Oakland Raiders on Friday.

Blount started at running back and Johnson played as the Lions’ third-down back early, but Abdullah got the bulk of the work in the second quarter and flashed some of the promise he showed as a rookie.

I’ve said all along I thought Abdullah could make the roster. The Lions will probably keep three running backs active on gameday, plus fullback Nick Bellore, so their fourth back doesn’t need to be a big special-teams contributor.

But Abdullah made a strong bid for a role Friday as the Lions’ first option as kick and punt returner.

Perhaps the Lions were showcasing him for a possible trade, and perhaps he saw more playing time than usual because Theo Riddick did not play in the first half. But whatever the reason, Abdullah, who’s still just 25, had a good preseason opener.

• First-round pick Frank Ragnow played most of the first half at left guard and helped clear the way for Abdullah’s touchdown. Ragnow and fifth-round pick Tyrell Crosby threw key blocks on the play. Both players have had really good training camps so far. Ragnow looks like he’ll be an anchor up front for a long time to come, and Crosby has the makings of a draft-day steal.

• The Lions didn’t get much push from their defensive line Friday, which isn’t a huge surprise since that’s the biggest question mark on the team and Ziggy Ansah didn’t play. A’Shawn Robinson missed a tackle on an 11-yard run that helped set up Oakland’s first touchdown, and the Lions were lucky rookie Kolton Miller was called for a hold on Anthony Zettel to wipe out a 60-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch.

• In case you were wondering, Matthew Stafford did not play Friday, which was 100 percent the right move. There’s no point in putting Stafford on the field for a few plays in live action after he got some good work in joint practices this week. If something happens to Stafford, the Lions’ season is over before it starts. I would expect him to get a quarter or so of work next week against the New York Giants, even though the Lions have another set of joint practices on deck.

• T.J. Lang and Nevin Lawson joined Stafford, Riddick, and Ansah on the bench Friday, and Golden Tate didn’t play after taking a shot to his right knee on his only catch. Tate came up flexing his knee. He tried to run back on the field after one play on the sideline, but Lions receivers coach Robert Prince bear-hugged him from behind to pull him back to the bench.

• If you’re looking for an undrafted rookie with a chance to make the team, keep an eye on cornerback Chris Jones. Jones got some early playing time with the second-team defense as a dime cornerback. Jones has some size at 6 feet and 200 pounds, and Lions general manager Bob Quinn has kept an under-the-rader UDFA cornerback before, Adarius Barnes two years ago. Nevin Lawson got hurt in practice this week and didn’t play in Friday’s first half, but Jones is definitely a player to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

• I know the Lions like their big cornerbacks — they signed DeShawn Shead this offseason and drafted Teez Tabor a year ago — but their lack of speed at that position outside of Darius Slay could be a problem this year. The Raiders matched Martavis Bryant up against both Tabor and Shead at times in the first half with success. Bryant ran away from Tabor on a crossing route in the first quarter, and beat Shead deep on a pass that was thrown incomplete in the second.

• Rough day for Rolan Milligan in his fight for a roster spot. Milligan played second-team safety (ahead of Miles Killebrew, who might just permanently be a linebacker), and got beat by Ryan Switzer on Connor Cook’s touchdown pass (when he slipped on a scramble drill) and missed an open-field tackle in the Raiders’ two-minute field-goal drive to end the first half.

• I know it was their second-team defense, but the Lions were terrible against the hurry-up. Along with Milligan’s missed tackle, Jalen Richard caught two passes on Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Jamal Agnew missed a tackle and the Lions repeatedly let the Raiders get to the sideline to stop the clock. Patricia couldn’t have been happy watching that unfold.